Community Project

POWDER (Protocol for Web Description Resources) Browser Extension

David Rooks

1. Please provide a brief description of your proposed project.

POWDER (Protocol for Web Description Resources) uses RDF-CL to make statements about web content. These statements could be anything e.g.

this site contains adult content
this site is WCAG AA compliant
all images on this site are suitable for children
this site uses a creative commons licence

The aim of this project is to create a browser extension which allows the user to perform the following tasks...

detect POWDER and allow the user to filter content based on their preferences
allow users to make POWDER statements relating to a specific website

2. Why did you select this particular project?

POWDER can deliver real end user benefits by enabling more trustworthy search results. POWDER can be used by search engines and browsers to annotate and filter search results based on conformance claims to standards such as Web accessibility and codes of conduct such as privacy statements.

3. Why do you think this project will have a wide impact?

The promise of more accurate search results should encourage end user adaptation. The nore people using the product, the more rdf being created. It is also reasonable to expect that once the end users start using the product then more organisations will start adding their codes of conduct to the system.

W3C mobileOK conformance claims will be made using a Content Label. The new top level domain XXX will be mandated to use a Content Label for every registered domain. Segala is already labelling sites for Web accessibility conformance. ICRA is labelling sites for child protection. There are other labelling providers also [1]

4. Can your project be easily integrated with other wide-spread systems? If so, which and how?

POWDER could be combined with FOAF to futther enhance the trust element. e.g. i trust what Harry says so only show me search results which have been labelled by Harry.

Also, it is already being adopted by the W3C Mobile Web Initiative. It can be adopted by the WCAG working group and all other initiatives which require conformance claims.

5. Why is it that this project should be done right now, i.e. why should people prioritise this ahead of other projects?

There are already real use cases. There's a Firefox extension that demonstrates how it works. Microsoft have offered to pay for the build of an IE plugin.

6. What can you contribute to the project?

I can manage it. I can also raise awareness via [2] which is already attracting a lot of attention. I will also dedicate resource to create new Content Labels for new and existing standards and codes of conduct. I've been talking to mainstream bloggers about creating a code for blogs, so they will help raise awareness also.

7. What contribution would you need from others?

Development.

8. What standardisation should the Semantic Web community at large undertake to support the project?

Whatever it can. It's already at Charter stage to progress onto a full recommendation track. So, it already has a foundation to build on top of.

9. How does your project encourage others not currently involved with Semantic Web technologies to get involved (by providing data or make a coding commitment)?

This project is a real world project which, if implemented, has the potential to change the way internet search is conducted. This should be enough incentive for developers to step up and become involved. The beauty of this project is that once implemented, the data will be created by the end user!

10. What would be the main benefit of using Semantic Web technologies to achieve the goals of the project, compared to other technologies?

See final report ;) [3]

Commitments

If you like this project, please write your name below and indicate what contribution you can make to the project.